Measurement tool for cable-preparation system

Abstract

Techniques, systems and articles are described for preparing electrical cables for connections to a power grid. In one example, a cable-cross-section-measurement tool includes a housing defining a cavity, wherein the housing is configured to position an end-face of an electrical cable within the cavity; a camera disclosed within the cavity of the housing, wherein the camera is configured to capture an image of the end-face of the electrical cable; and a telecentric lens optically coupled to the camera, wherein the telecentric lens comprises a non-angular field of view configured to reduce, in the image, distortion from parallax associated with at least one portion of the end-face of the electrical cable that is oriented at an oblique angle relative to an optical axis of the telecentric lens.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A device comprising:
 a housing defining a cavity, wherein the housing is configured to position an end-face of an electrical cable within the cavity; 
 a camera disclosed within the cavity of the housing, wherein the camera is configured to capture an image of the end-face of the electrical cable; 
 a telecentric lens optically coupled to the camera, wherein the telecentric lens comprises a non-angular field of view configured to reduce, in the image, distortion from parallax associated with at least one portion of the end-face of the electrical cable that is oriented at an oblique angle relative to an optical axis of the telecentric lens; and 
 at least one computing device configured to determine, based on the image, at least one of a diameter or a radial thickness of at least one layer of the electrical cable, and output the diameter or the radial thickness of the at least one layer to a cable-preparation device configured to, based on the diameter or the radial thickness, cut the at least one layer of the electrical cable. 
 
     
     
       2. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the telecentric lens comprises a Fresnel lens. 
     
     
       3. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a handheld device, and wherein the device further comprises a handle extending from the housing. 
     
     
       4. The device of  claim 3 , wherein the handle comprises a trigger configured to cause the camera to capture the image of the end-face of the electrical cable. 
     
     
       5. The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a locking ring configured to orient the end-face of the electrical cable within the field of view of the telecentric lens. 
     
     
       6. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises indicator lights configured to indicate to a user that the end-face of the electrical cable is oriented within the field of view of the telecentric lens. 
     
     
       7. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further configured to:
 determine, based on the diameter or the thickness of the at least one layer, that the diameter or the thickness is outside an expected range; and 
 output an alert indicating that the diameter or the thickness is outside the expected range. 
 
     
     
       8. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the telecentric lens is configured to enable the computing device to determine, based on colors of pixels within the image, an outer or an inner edge of the at least one layer by averaging-out random color distortion among the pixels. 
     
     
       9. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the telecentric lens is configured to enable the computing device to accurately determine, based on colors of pixels within the image, an outer or an inner edge of the at least one layer by reducing an amount of color-interpolation of the pixels. 
     
     
       10. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the telecentric lens is configured to enable the computing device to accurately determine, based on colors of pixels within the image, an outer or an inner edge of the at least one layer by causing the at least one portion of the end-face of the electrical that is oriented at an oblique angle relative to the optical axis of the telecentric lens to optically conform, within the image, to a common planar surface of the end-face of the cable that is oriented perpendicular to the optical axis of the telecentric lens. 
     
     
       11. The device of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one light source configured to illuminate the end-face of the electrical cable. 
     
     
       12. The device of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one light source includes a ring of light emitting diodes (LEDs). 
     
     
       13. The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a transparent protector configured to block the electrical cable from contacting the telecentric lens. 
     
     
       14. A system comprising:
 a cross-section sensing module comprising:
 a housing defining a cavity, wherein the housing is configured to position an end-face of an electrical cable within the cavity; 
 a camera disclosed within the cavity of the housing, wherein the camera is configured to capture an image of the end-face of the electrical cable; and 
 a telecentric lens optically coupled to the camera, wherein the telecentric lens comprises a non-angular field of view configured to reduce, in the image, distortion from parallax associated with at least one portion of the end-face of the electrical cable that is oriented at an oblique angle relative to an optical axis of the telecentric lens; 
 
 a cable preparation device; and 
 a computing device configured to receive the image from the camera, determine, based on the image, at least one of a diameter or a radial thickness of at least one layer of the electrical cable, and output the diameter or the radial thickness of the at least one layer to the cable-preparation device configured to, based on the diameter or the radial thickness, cut the at least one layer of the electrical cable. 
 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 14 , wherein the telecentric lens is configured to enable the computing device to accurately determine, based on colors of pixels within the image, an outer or an inner edge of the at least one layer by causing the at least one portion of the end-face of the electrical that is oriented at an oblique angle relative to the optical axis of the telecentric lens to optically conform, within the image, to a common planar surface of the end-face of the cable that is oriented perpendicular to the optical axis of the telecentric lens. 
     
     
       16. A method comprising:
 capturing, by a camera communicatively coupled to a processor, an image of an end-face of an electrical cable, wherein a telecentric lens positioned in front of the camera removes, from the image, distortion from parallax, wherein the parallax is associated with at least one portion of the end-face of the electrical cable that is oriented at an oblique angle relative to an optical axis of the telecentric lens; 
 determining, by the processor, a diameter or a thickness of at least one layer of the electrical cable based on the image; and 
 outputting the diameter or the thickness of the at least one layer of the electrical cable to a computing device further configured to control a cable-preparation device to cut and remove the at least one layer from the electrical cable. 
 
     
     
       17. A device comprising:
 a housing defining a cavity, wherein the housing is configured to position an end-face of an electrical cable within the cavity; 
 a camera disclosed within the cavity of the housing, wherein the camera is configured to capture an image of the end-face of the electrical cable; and 
 a telecentric lens optically coupled to the camera, wherein the telecentric lens comprises a non-angular field of view configured to reduce, in the image, distortion from parallax associated with at least one portion of the end-face of the electrical cable that is oriented at an oblique angle relative to an optical axis of the telecentric lens, wherein the device comprises a handheld device, and wherein the device further comprises a handle extending from the housing.